Posted on 08/01/2004 9:17:11 PM PDT by Freesofar
WASHINGTON -- U.S. government officials, citing unusually detailed information, warned Sunday of plans by terrorists to attack financial institutions in New York, New Jersey and the District of Columbia and, for the first time, raised the threat level on a localized basis.
Buildings targeted for possible car-bomb or truck-bomb attacks include the New York Stock Exchange and Citigroup Inc. offices in New York, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in Washington, and the headquarters of Prudential Financial Inc. in Newark, N.J., officials at the Department of Homeland Security said.
"This afternoon we do have new and unusually specific information about where al-Qaida would like to attack," Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge told reporters Sunday, maintaining that the quality of the intelligence was in stark contrast to the "usual chatter."
Terrorists assembled a wealth of information about the institutions, officials said -- including details about their construction, the best methods of discreet observation, the locations of nearby hospitals, police stations and schools, and even the number of pedestrians who pass by on weekdays.
As a result, Ridge said, law-enforcement and private security would impose an array of measures to enhance the security of those facilities, including parking restrictions, added police and more careful screening of individuals, motorists, mail and deliveries. New York City officials said they would increase their monitoring of bridge and tunnel traffic.
Homeland Security officials said they had no details on when attacks might occur. But they said the intelligence, gleaned from multiple sources in multiple locations, appeared to be part of an effort to disrupt the U.S. political process culminating with the Nov. 2 presidential election.
"I certainly realize that this is sobering news, not just about the intent of our enemies but of their specific plans and a glimpse into their methods," Ridge said, describing the financial institutions as "iconic economic targets" of great interest to al-Qaida.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
with the borders wide open and political correctness as a priority , I hardly would call this "NEWS "
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